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ANARAUD cnocxwonx mn neunten. rusas Fon mummy nome-nnss Aug. 16, 1921. y Re. 16.703

Orixinal Filed lay 1. 1925 f2 Z f4 28 l fr 5", v? xfzy'g 12 1,0 /13 \////////////V //9/// y nd' gr Vara/ud -Reissued Aug. 16, 1927. I

PATENT oFF-Ica :ANDR VABAUD, F GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

VCLOCKWOR'K FOR MECHANICAL FUSES FOR` ARTILLERY PROJECTILES.

origini no. 15741391, dated mmh 1a, 192e, serial No.` 127,121, mea may 1, k1925. Appiieation for reissue led July 7, 1927.v Serial No. 204,046.

The present invention relates to clock- Work for mechanical 'fuses for artillery projectiles and more particularly to the devices comprising the regulator and escapement r mechanism. used for controlling the operation `vof the clockwork. e

Heretofore in a clockwork for similar purposes it hasbeen proposed to employ a balancey regulator carried by a spring and also to usefan escapem'ent such as is com-y monly employedl inrwatches, but heretofore it has been practically impossible to construct a device of "this kind capable not only of v'resisting the effect of inertia produced l1 at the moment of firing the projectile, but

also of resisting the disturbing action o centrifugal force during the trajectory of the projectile', and which linally is capable of giving to the balance free oscillations of i great*amplitudel in order to regulate the transmission of .the motive power.

In 'I operating the balance of .all these known devices, it is practically impossible topllseaaspiral spring arranged-in the geometrical axis ofthe Ifuse owin'gvto the fact that onA the one hand the centrifugal force, actinglon the convolutions `of they spiral, disturbs the device and destroys .the isochronism` of the oscillations of the balance, and

a ,torsion springuarranged in the axis ofv rotation of the projectile. It has thereby beeny possible for the balance spring to supf `port the chcckdue to inertia and to obviate toa certain extent theinconveniences resu'lting from A thevperturbing action of j th centrifugal force;v j i l But it is evident that these springs have necessarily but little f power and elasticity' on theotherhand the deformations or jerls .produced by the eiects of inertia at the.

and it has not been possible to give to the oscillations of the balance an adequate iso* chronism and a sutliciently great amplitude to assure 'a perfect regularity of the transmission ot the motive power and to use an escapement giving free oscillations to the balance. The ydetent escapements, the -free lever escapenients and thehorizontal (cylinder) escapeinents being too delicate or impractical for luse in thisparticular case, it has been necessary to adhere to the anchor recoil or mixed escapement that is to say to an escapement having a slight rest or lockinglin'which the amplitude ofthe oscillations of the balance is limited by theV base or bottom ott Vthe teeth of the escapeinent Wheel. j On the other hand the little elasticity of these springs does not permit to have them suiciently strong to be adapted for maintaining the isochronism of the oscillations ot' the balance in spite of the irregularities which may occur in the'action of the centrifugal force, when, for example` the projectile does not turn exactly round its geometricall axis, a phenomenon known as natation.I t a Heretoore it has been proposed to einploy a'cylindrical escapenient with pins and in which the axes of the balance and that of the ,escapement Wheelcare parallel whereby` .-1.;

were too delicate to ansivf'er the required puri poses, the rests or stops of the escapement WheelJ being determined by the tangential Contact of a pin `with the periphery of a relativelyv large cylinder also, created i'rictional `forcestooA greatto permit the balance to describe under normal conditions its supplementary arcs. New, in a clockwork for inechanical fuses, more than in anj,r other, 0W- ing to the variations in Amotive power caused by the more or less great intensity of the centrifugal force, it is necessary to be able to give to the balance oscillations of great amplitude it one Wishes to obtain strict isochronism of these oscillations which is, indispensable for the exact rate of the clock- Work.

.ion

f2 time of the departure of the projectile upon being fired, and a dead-beat escapement which makes it possible to'give the balance oscillations 'of relatively large amplitude.

The annexed design represents by way of f' example a constructional form of the device being the object of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partial section made along the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 of this form, indicating in dotted lines a part of the train of the i? movement and of the balance.

Fig. 2 is a transversal section drawn along 'the angle line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

According to the drawing the last wheel of the clockwork gear train of the fuse (of which onlykthe part where the regulator and the escapement are placed is represented) is a bevelled pinion 1 fixed upon one of the ends of a small spindle 2 revolving in a U shaped bearing 3. In the middle of this spindle is fastened by means of a radial screw 41 a double escapement wheel 5 of the alternate tooth type well known in itself, but which has heretofore been used only for clocks and called after its inventor the Garnier escapement wheel. This wheel cooperates with a colletin the form of a sector 6 fixed upon the spindle or rod 7 of the balance 8. The angle of this sector is between 160O and 2000. By the pressure of the inclined parts of the teeth of the double wheel upon the section of the sector impulses are alternately transmitted first in one direction and then in the other on either side of the spindle 7 while the locking takes place when the point of one of the teeth of the wheel 5 rests upon the face of the sector 6. In order to facilitate the disengagement this face is slightly linclined at 9 towards the end face of the sector.

The spindle 7 revolves in a manner already known in the axis -y of the fuse between two plates 10 and 11 of said fuse and carries upon its upper part the balance 8 which consists two blades 12 in alignment with one another. Each of these blades is a thin and flexible strip of metal which carries on its free end a small weight 13. An intermediate pla-te 14 limits the bending of these blades 12 which is produced by inertia at the time of firing of the projectile to which the fuse is fixed.

The spindle 7 carries likewise a bevelled pinion 15 which engages with a second bevelled gear 17, attached to one end of a small radial spindle 18 rotating in a bearing the said balance.

19. At its other end, this radial spindle 18 carries astud 2O for fixing one of the ends of the cylindrical or helical spring 21 of the balance, which spring is radially couched across the fuse and whose axis is consequently perpendicular tothe axis m--y of the latter. The other end of this balance spring 21 is attached to a split ring 22 which is adjustable in angular' position on a cylindrical bearing 23 of a stud 2-1 screwed upon the plate 11.

A small set screw 25, revolving in the stud 24 permits the ring 22 to be secured in its set position. This ring 22 has a cylindrical projection, upon which a split ring 26 is frictionally mounted which ac ts as a racket in the following manner. rlhis split ring 26 carries on its inner face a small stud 27 through which the outmost coil or convolution of the balance spring 21 passes freely, so that by an angular displacement by hand of the split ring 26 with regard to the ring 22, the useful length of said spring will be regulated. The ring 22v as well as the split ring 26 are milled at their periphery to facilitate being gripped by hand. A regulating screw 28 is adjustable in the stud 24 and makes it possible .to regulate the axial position of the spindle 18 with regard to the bearing' 19 so as to assure the correct meshing ofthe bevelled pinions 15 and 17 regardless of the action of the centrifugal force developed by the rotation of the projectile to which the fuse has been fitted.

A part of the bearing 19 extends beneath the balance-spring 21 so as to act as a supporting member at the moment of the departure of the projectile.

The working of this form of embodiment of the invention is as follows:

The fuse is mounted. in the pointed part of the projectile so that its axis m-Q/ coincides with the axis ofthe latter and the balance 8 12is locked by any appropriate means (not illustrated) in its arrested position until the firing moment. Said locking means are at Ithe moment of the departureof the projectile by the inertia or by 'centribalance and thereupon remains at rest during the whole duration of the oscillation of At the end of this oscillation'the cog, which determined the locking,

' n the oppositedirection and the followingeogT comes intothe position ofrest andso foi-th.'

f the same.

iai/oa.

Itlfwould be possiblef to apply two'v cylindrical springs .for the balance and the latter might have more than `two blades or might comprise a full flywheel.

l One could reverse the arrangement of the balanceV and that ofthe vescapement wheel; this latter` being then vplaced parallel to the axis of the fuse While the spindle 7 and the spindle 18 of the spring 21 become one and In this case the bevelled gears 1 5, 17 would of course be eliminated. It will also be understood that the construction of` the dead-beat'escapement mechanismV may be varied within the scope ofthe claims Without departing from the invention.

Iclaim as my invention: l f

1. In a clockwork for mechanical fuses foi-artillery projectiles, a balance, a cylindrical spiral so placed' that the axis thereof is transverse of the fuse and perpendicular torthe axisV of rotation of the projectile, a supporting member upon which said spiral momentarily rests at the time of the .departure of the projectile upon being tired, and a dead-beat escapement whereby oscillations of relatively large amplitude are given to the balance.

2. In a regulator for clock-work operated fuses for artillery projectiles, a balance, an

arbor for the same, an escapement wheel, an

arbor for the same, the arbors for the said balance and escapement wheel being perpendicular to each other, andv aspiral spring for regulating the action of the said balance and escapement wheel, the axis of the spiral spring being transversely of the fuse and rpendicular to the axis of the projectile to which Athe Afuse is attached. v

3. In a regulator for clock-work operated fuses for artillery projectiles, a balance, an

arbor for the same, a sector-like shoulder on the arbor of the balance, an escapement wheel adapted to engage the said sector like shoulder, and a spiral spring for regulating the actionof the balance and escapement wheel, the axis ofthe spiral spring being transversely of the fuse and perpendicular to the axis of theprojectile to which the fuse is attached.

4. In a clock-Work for mechanical fuses for artillery projectiles, a balance, an arbor for the same, an escapement wheel for actuating the balance, a spiral spring, an arbor fory the same, and meshingbevel gears on the said arbors,` the axis of the said spiral spring and the arbor therefor being transversely of thev fuse and perpendicular to the axis of the projectile to which the fuse is attached. 1 5. 'In a clock-work for mechanical fuses for artillery projectiles, a balance, an arbor therefor, an escapement wheel, a shoulder on the arbor of the balance adapted to be engaged by the escapement wheel for actu- `spring in a ating the balance, a spiral spring, an arbor for the same,'meshing bevel gears on the said y* arbors, and means for adjusting the tension of the said spiralspring, the axis of the said spiral spring and its arbor being transversely 6. In a yclock-Work for mechanical"fusesV for artillery projectiles, a balance, an arbor therefor, an escapement wheel, a shoulder on the arbor of the balance adapted-to be en-` gaged by the esca-pement Wheel for actuating the balance, a spiral spring, an arbor for the saine, meshing bevel gears on the said a1. bors, astud at one end of the arbor vof the spiral spring, a split ringto wliichthe opposite end of the spiral spring is connected, and means for revolubly adjusting and securing the split ring in position to determine the tension of the spiral spring, the axis of the said spiral spring and its arbor being transversely of the fuse and perpendiculaiI to the axis of the projectile to which the fuse is attached.

7. In a clock-work for mechanical fuses for artillery projectiles, a balance, an arbor therefor, a double escapement wheel, a shoulder on the arbor of the balance, the said shoulder having an inclined edge to facilitate its disengagement with the said double escapement Wheel, a spiral spring, an arbor for the same, meshing bevel gears on the said arbors, a stud at one end of the arbor of the spiral spring, a split ring to which the opposite end of the spiral spring is connected, and means for revolubly adjusting and securing the split ring in posltion to determine the tension of the spiral spring, the axis of the said spiral spring and its arbor being transversely of` the fuse and perpendicu ar to the axis of the projectile to which the fuse is attached. Y

8. Ina clockwork operated mechanical fuse forV artillery projectiles and in the bal- .ance regulator for the clockwork thereof, a

spiral spring so placed that the axis thereof extends at an appreciable angle tothe axis of rotation of t e fuse whereby centrifugal force due to the rotation of the fuse on its own axis acts on the convolutions of the path substantially parallel to the axis of t e spring thereby minimizing the effect of centrifugal force on the oscillations of the spring.

9. Ina clockwork operated mechanical fuse for artillery projectiles and in the balance regulator for the clockwork thereof, a spiral spring with the axis thereof so placed as to lie at right angles tothe axis of rotation` ofv the fuse whereby centrifugal force due to l the 'rotation of the fuse on its own axis acts on the convolutions of the spring in a path elfectively parallel to the axis of the spring thereby minimizing the iniiuence of the centrifugal force on the oscillations of the said spring. Y

l0. In a mechanical 'clockwork `Operated fuse for artillery projectiles, Sa' clockwork vincluding e dead-beat esca-pement comprising a balance, a spindle for said balance disposed 1n the axis of the fuse, an eseapement Wheel7 a spindle for the saine at right angles tothe balance spindleyand a shoulder 0n the balancev spindle against which the teeth of 10 thev vescapernent Wheel successively Contact to determine periods of restjof the esca-pe' ment Wheel that correspond to balance oscillations which are of large amplitude.

Signed by me this 8th day of June, 1927*.

ANDR VARAUD. 

